Proptech AISource: Inman (contributor column)
BoldTrail maker's CEO: real estate platforms that win will open up, not wall agents in
Original headline: “Real estate software is about to get a lot more open. Good” — Inman (contributor column), Oct 13, 2026
In an Inman opinion column, Joe Skousen, founder and CEO of Inside Real Estate, argues that even good real estate software has been limited to “the single experience,” where data and business logic are reachable mostly through one product's screens, and that AI now lets that intelligence move between systems and act where the work is happening. He writes that the best platforms “won't win by trying to hold everything inside their own walls” and that a brokerage's own lead-handling, follow-up and coaching playbooks can become part of how its software operates. Skousen adds that openness raises the bar, since AI needs trusted data, permissions, governance and business logic, and says a workflow built in an afternoon “can look impressive but fall apart when it's put to the test”; the column names no specific product, price or launch date.
Our take (opinion & analysis, not reporting)
For agents and brokerages on BoldTrail or comparing all-in-one CRMs: this is a vendor CEO's direction-setting, not a feature you can use today, so ask your rep exactly which outside tools can read or act on your CRM data, and with what permissions. When you compare platforms, put “can I connect the AI and apps I already use” next to price and lead routing on your checklist. And take Skousen's own warning seriously: test any quick AI workflow on real leads before rolling it out to your whole team.
Online discussion: no notable public discussion found yet (checked Oct 13, 2026).